Chirag KironRoll No: 16005MHA Ist Year

PUBLIC RELATIONS IN HOSPITAL

*Communicative methods*Indications for measuring public relations*Additional Important Considerations*Conclusion

COMMUNICATIVE METHODS- These methods employ means of communication in all possible forms to enable the hospital to convey its message to the public.- Some of these are also inter mixed with the intramural functions of the hospital and operative methods.- The other deals with Media.

Communication Methods can be used in the following ways:1) Providing appropriate information to patient’s, their relatives & visitors * At enquiry & registration.*On patient’s discharge regarding his/her health status and follow up.*Discharge interview with attending physician can serve this purpose well.

2) An open house approach to the visitors without interfering in the routine medical care functions*Large number of visitors to patients cannot be avoided in our peculiar socio cultural ethos.*The queries of relatives and visitors can be satisfied if a doctor or senior nurse conversant with the ward is made available in the ward during visiting hours for this purpose.*Administrative rounds by hospital administrators at different levels. However, they should be as informal as possible.

3) Signage & Name boards* Easy to follow signage and boards.*Floor plans displayed at strategic places.* All rooms should be numbered.*Patient information brochure & visitor guide.

4) Complaints , Compliments , Suggestions*A provision to listen to verbal complaints instead of insisting or written ones, e-mails. *Provision of a suggestion box at an appropriate place.

5) Hospital –Public Interactions* Hospital tours by groups such as school teachers & students , members of various organizations, people’s representatives, religious leaders etc *Health fairs, Exhibitions, Special Clinics, Health awareness programs, Medical Insurance programs, Vacation volunteer programs, organize career day etc*Holding of an annual Hospital day, Founders day, Special events.All this helps in projecting every aspect of the hospital’s operations including some of the highly technical functions.

6) Advisory Committee* Its role should be to suggest hospital administration the methods to overcome their shortcomings, and interpret the functioning of the hospital to the community.

7) Speakers Bureau* CEO and Staff should use every opportunity to speak to other service organizations and institutions on health matters.

8) Advertising* Talks ,interviews & programs on TV Radio, Social Media.*Outdoor methods – Billboards, Highway Signs*Newsletters and Articles – On medical topics, About hospital in newspaper, magazines etc

INDICATORS FOR MEASURING PUBLIC RELATIONSHelps to identify ways of improving medical care & ultimately translates into better and happier patients.

Patient Satisfaction Survey- Can be conducted by an outdoor survey agency or done as an In House survey.- A survey questionnaire with options is provide to the patients.

General Opinion Poll- Mostly pertains to a single question,

situation o problem that needs an answer

NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS RECEIVED

- Less the number of complaints received , better is

the Public Relations.

Extend of Voluntary Effort by Community- Voluntary Corps/Volunteers are public spirited & service minded people providing extra services.- They help patients, host things in patient care areas.- More volunteerism in a hospital, Better the Public Relations.

Turnover of Medical Staff- Minimal Turnover of staff is an indication of good public relations of the organization.

Consistency in Attendance by Patients- Higher patient turn up when patients are reminded of their appointment as text message, e-mail or over the phone.- Better the relation or contact with the patient, more consistent will be the patient’s attendance.

DONATIONS- Hospitals primary mission is to treat and rehabilitate ill patients.- Sometimes both the hospital & patient might fail to meet up with the charges needed for this.- Donation & charitable contributions from the public come in handy in such vital situations.

Letter to the Editors in Local Newspaper-All newspapers have a page where letters from the readers are published.- If there is something in the news that you want to respond to or let the public know of some medical situation like arising epidemics, you can write a letter to the editor and make it published.

In Patients leaving against Medical advice (LAMA)- When an In patient expresses the desires to leave against the advice of the physician, AMA procedure is explained & the patient or responsible party signs the AMA form, thus accepting responsibility for their decision and it becomes a part of the medical records.- More LAMA patients, worser is the hospitals public relations.

Public Relations Officer-PR officer plan, develop, put into place, evaluate information & communication strategies that present at organization to the public, clients & stakeholders.- They also promote good information flow within their organization.- In smaller hospitals, the chief hospitals administrator or his deputy usually assumes this responsibility.- However, larger hospitals will require a full time PR officer.

ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONSCommunication to the Press- PR must get to know the local press well. Local press can be hospitals principle helper in this regard. A hostile press can do a lot of harm. If an editor understands the hospitals problems, he can help enormously.

- When something has gone seriously wrong & consequences may be of public concern, legitimate information must be volunteered as early as possible. - Clearance of all material intended for release must be controlled by the chief of PR. The material should be put on a format & released in a manner calculated to benefit the hospital.

- Information regarding the condition of hospital patients especially VIP’s & very serious patients, should be guarded and preferably governed by an approval code.- Interviews of patients by the press or taking their photographs should only be permitted if the patient or his/her relatives consent & if it is the hospital’s interest.

Medical Information & Information regarding patients- Any medical staff information for public consumption should be cleared by public relations.- No patient information should be released without a signed informed consent of the same.-All questions about hospital operations & its patients should be cleared by chief public relations before being published publicly.

Nursing Services- Irrespective of the physical condition, the patients psychologically needs a strong sense of recognition by nurses.- The nursing education programme helps the nurses to perform patient activities effectively.

Role of Women’s Voluntary Organisation- Women’s voluntary organisations not only improve public relations but eases some of the administrative burdens of the hospital.- In UK, for over 20 years , the National Health Service(NHS) has demonstrated the effectiveness of women volunteers. - In USA, “Womens Hospital Auxiliary’

- Hospitals should strive to provide a high quality of service as well as educate the public on the hospital’s problems & limitations.- Hospital exist, function, survive & grow as part of the social system and is influenced by the external and internal environment as in turn it influences them.- Nursing service has an important role to play as the warmth, concern, perception, sensitivity & compassion are an integral to the art and business of healing – it can never be replaced by technology.- Public Relations programme cannot be a sporadic activity but has to be an ongoing process.

REFERENCES:* B.M.Sakharkar - Principles of Hospital Administration & Planning *S.L.Goel – Health Care System & Management